Isolation and Morphological Characterization of Endophytic Fungi from Leaves and Bark of Keledang (Artocarpus lanceifolius Roxb.)

Abstract

Artocarpus lanceifolius Roxb which is also known as Keledang., an endemic member of the Moraceae family, exhibits notable pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and photoprotective effects associated with its secondary metabolites. Endophytic fungi, which inhabit plant tissues asymptomatically, are known to synthesize bioactive compounds comparable to those of their host plants. This integrated study aimed to isolate and characterize endophytic fungi from the leaves and bark of A. lanceifolius to assess their potential as alternative sources of bioactive metabolites. Leaf and bark samples were surface sterilized, sectioned into explants, and inoculated onto Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). Emerging colonies were purified and examined macroscopically based on colony color, texture, margin, and reverse pigmentation, and microscopically based on hyphal morphology, conidiophores, phialides, and conidia. As an exploratory descriptive study, no statistical tests were applied. Eight endophytic fungal isolates were obtained: four from leaves—Gliocladium sp., Geotrichum sp., and two Aspergillus spp.—and three from bark—Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp., and Aspergillus niger. The differences between leaf- and bark-derived isolates indicate organ-specific ecological niches. These findings demonstrate that A. lanceifolius hosts diverse endophytes with potential for natural product discovery, warranting further molecular and metabolomic investigation.